Adeleke: I will Leverage Tourism as Major Revenue Source for Osun

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State yesterday said a lot of work is ongoing into raising  tourism sector  as a major revenue source for the development of the state in all ramifications.

Speaking yesterday, on the achievements of the administration since assumption of office, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Barrister Kolapo Alimi, who addressed the press on behalf of the governor noted that the government of Ademola Adeleke has done a lot across all sectors despite the paucity of fund and inherited debt.

He pointed out that Governor Ademola Adeleke has a five-point agenda which he has rigorously implemented.

According to him, “We’re repositioning the tourism sector into a tourism and cultural industry. A lot of work is ongoing into raising the sector as a major revenue source for Osun State.

“Our administration is actively creating an environment for the thriving of creatives. We’ve revitalized key festivals, positioning them as global entertainment opportunities from the Osun Osogbo Festival to the Sango Festival and the introduction of the Adire Festival.”

He stressed further that “Moreover, Osun State is gearing up to host significant entertainment events. The sport sector is undergoing major reform. We are setting up a sports commission and expanding into other games beyond football.”

In agriculture, Alimi emphasised that the administration is working on the establishment of agro processing zones as well as further support for mechanization of farming in the state.

The Commissioner added that in the last one year the administration has restored the local government system with elections to hold for a year or so, saying that, “Grassroots government is now ongoing”.

For the mining sector , he equally pointed out that government is recording an increase in revenue generation, while the accumulated service charges on licenses have been cleared.

He stressed out that “We are at the tail end of upgrading our exploration leases to mining leases. This will bring more investors. We are now operating an environmentally friendly operation. EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan) is now a must before mining operation.”

He however noted that cleaning up the polluted environment is also ongoing. “Our mining operation now has zero tolerance for environmental degradation. We have had a long drawn negotiation with mining companies operating in Osun since the beginning of the year,” he stated.